Sweet Nightmares
by phoenix-aerith
Summary: Rewritten. Left for dead, Syazel manages to impregnate the unknowing Rukia with himself. As he slowly takes over her willpower and conscious, will Ichigo and everyone be able to save her, or will Syazel destroy her from within?


Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach…

Summary: Rewritten. Left for dead, Syazel somehow manages to impregnate the unknowing Rukia with himself. As he slowly takes over her conscious and willpower, will Ichigo and the others be able to save her, or will Syazel succeed? AU from chapter 382 onwards.

* * *

"_Why?" Amber eyes looked in despair at empty violet ones. "Why did things turn out this way?"_

_Silence only greeted his question._

"_Answer me, Rukia, I beg of you…"_

* * *

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

She was flying.

Under normal circumstances she would have made light of the situation, knowing someone would catch her, just like how Renji had when Ichigo had unceremoniously thrown her 300 metres from the top of the Soukyoku.

But this time, it was very much different.

This time, there would be no Nii- sama nor Renji to save her. And she couldn't expect _him _to…

"RUKIA!"

Her eyes widened. Having every bone broken by this force was suddenly the last thing on her mind.

_It couldn't be…_

* * *

_Eyes of a man who has won a losing battle…_

Ichigo, by some super-shinigami speed that even her eyes couldn't see, had literally snatched her out of the air when she was about 10 metres from slamming into the sand. That was when she had seen them, those eyes.

"Rukia." Blinking, she stared up to the head of the orange- haired boy, who was looking intently at Yammy, with the latter roaring in outrage at his failure to rid of the _pests. _

_-Pests that Ulquiorra couldn't even kill…but he did.- _Ichigo raised a hand to where his the Hollow hole would have been, smack in the middle of his chest. "Rukia…after all these… I need to talk to you."

"Ichigo…"

"Byakuya saved you, didn't he? I'm sorry… I wasn't there to save you. I got involved in something stupid…as usual." An empty smirk crossed his face. "I wonder… if I'm becoming stupider with every fight I get involved in." Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but was promptly whisked away to safety again as Yammy's fist came crashing down on where they had been seconds earlier.

"YOU DAMN PESTS!" Yammy roared. From the rooftop, Rukia's eyes widened. "He grew bigger… good grief, how big can he grow?" She stood up, ready to release her Shikai, when Ichigo's hand clamped down on her shoulder.

Hard.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Rukia snapped, shaking her shoulder, but only succeeded in allowing Ichigo to tighten his grip around her shoulder.

"I want you to stay here."

"Huh?"

"_Stay here, I said." _Ichigo's voice took on a deadlier tone. His eyes were gleaming a bright amber. Rukia found herself unable to speak as she stared into his eyes. "I already lost you once. I won't lose you again." His tone became softer, but the eyes did not change.

She could only mutely nod. Ichigo gave her a soft smile, then shunpo-ed away as a charging Yammy came into sigh.

_-Ichigo…what…happened up there?-_

* * *

_Elsewhere- Ichigo's inner world_

Long ago, he had made a decision, an agreement, with his _master._

"The time is near, Shiro." Amber eyes turned to the speaker in annoyance. "I told you to stop calling me that, old man."

"And I told you to stop calling me old man."

"Because that's how the King acknowledges you, old man."

"Only because he knows nothing of my true form. But it is near the final battle…and his resolution has failed him." Shiro scowled.

"I saw…the Queen, her face…she doesn't understand." Shiro's face clouded over, as did Tensa Zangetsu.

"Neither does mine…Shirayuki…" he whispered softly.

* * *

"Seems like the fool boy has finally woken up somehow." Byakuya dodged a slash and shunpo-ed behind the Hollow, murmuring a quick kido that reduced the shocked Hollow to dust. From where he was busy cutting every Hollow in sight, Kenpachi only let out a snort.

"Good for him then? He owes me one after all these damn shit. Tch, I even had to save his butt. Only decent fight I had was that fifth nutcase of a Espada, and the rest of it are dumb weaklings. Aizen sure was picky with his underlings. Speaking of which, do we need to get Unohana and the freak scientist?"

Senbonzakura slid back into its sheath with a small 'ching'. "Of course, there's no need to. They can take care of themselves pretty well."

"What about your sister? Sure you won't go zooming off on me later?" Byakuya half turned. "Rukia can hold her own. Even if no one says it, she's better than that lieutenant of mine. Besides, why would you care if I did go to her aid?" Senbonzakura was out of its sheath again, neatly cutting the quickly fading Hollow.

"Because, you are the only one around here for a decent fight!" Kenpachi immediately pointed his sword in Byakuya's direction, grinning so widely that his face looked like it would split anytime.

"Bring it on, then." Byakuya answered coolly.

"HEY YOU, DON'T LEAVE US OUT!" The Hollow roared, its reprieve immediately ending as two blades entered its body.

"Bothersome. You're in the way!"

* * *

"Mayuri- sama, what should we do about Specimen Octava?"

Mayuri gave the still frozen Espada a look. Then shrugged and turned back to his work.

"Keep him, of course. Must you ask the obvious?"

* * *

_Karakura Town_

Ukitake give the newly entered Espadas a glance, and sighed. Kyoraku turned to his friend.

"Getting cold feet, Jyuushirou?" The white-haired man chuckled. "Hardly, although I can say I'm getting cold feet for something else."

"Your cute soon-to-be-lieutenant? Nah, she'll be fine. Like Byaku-kun would let anything happen to her."

"That's true…but anything can happen."

"Really, Shirou" Kyoraku patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't jinx it, really."

* * *

_Hueco Mundo_

In the nick of time, Byakuya and Kenpachi had arrived to aid Ichigo in his losing battle against Yammy.

"The hell, he got beaten up again." Kenpachi scowled. "OI ICHIGO, YOU HAD THE WRONG FOOD OR SOMETHING?"

"SHUT UP, KENPACHI, YOU ARENT FARING ANY BETTER!" Ichigo roared back, doing a double take as he spat blood into the sand.

"In my opinion, neither of you are doing well." Byakuya replied as Yammy's legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground, roaring in pain.

"Ayeee, Kuchiki. I said to stay out of this battle. This big one is mine." Kenpachi grumbled.

"And does it spell your name anywhere?" Byakuya replied back. "If it does, I don't see it anywhere."

"Anything that is a nice opponent is mine, of course." The feral grin was back. Byakuya only returned a level look, hands already moving to Senbonzakura.

"Bring on round 2, then."

"DON"T YOU DARE…IGNORE ME!" Yammy's hand came flying down at where the two captains were. A cloud of dust, and mad laughter. Rukia's eyes flitted anxiously among the sand dust for a familiar figure once her eyes got used the dust.

"No…NII-SAMA!"

At the same time, Yammy let out a roar of pain as his hand came crashing down onto the sand.

"Kuchiki, I said he was mine! Did your eardrums burst from hearing him scream too much?"

"And I said, which part of him declares that he is your opponent?"

"Nii- sama…" Rukia let out a relieved sigh, hands unconsciously tightening on Ichigo's wrist. Ichigo gave the petite woman a side glance.

"Ru-"

"Well, they seem to be having fun." Both of them turned. "Unohana- taichou…"

"Kuchiki- san, Kurosaki- kun. Are you both alright?"

"I'm fine, but Ichigo, he-"

"I'm fine, Rukia, Unohana- san."

"But to my knowledge, neither of you look like it." Said 'patients' gulped as a shadow crossed over Unohana's face. "Isane, Hanatarou, if you please. Meanwhile, Kurosaki- kun, please prepare yourself. You will be making your way back to the human world soon."

* * *

"Why, is here nothing but white and a lot of sand?"

"Because it would be a direct opposite of Soul Society, Mayuri- sama?"

"Of course I know that, Nemu. Can you not give me a chance to be philosophical?"

"My apologies, Mayuri- sama."

"Still, for such a forsaken place, there are indeed many treasures here. Hmpf, Aizen picked a good place for his hideout. It's a pity we didn't come sooner, and now I have to share with the others. BUT! Urahara, of course, like I would let him have such precious and rare data like this…in this aspect, I would have surpassed him!"

"Congratulations, Mayuri- sama."

"Why thank you. Tch, why are you talking so much, hurry and move on, Nemu, we don't have much time!"

"Yes, Mayuri- sama. My deepest apologies."

As they continued on to where an immense amount of reiatsu was gathering, neither saw the tentacle twitch in the slightest.

* * *

_Karakura Town_

"And so, the battle has began…" Gin chuckled to himself. "Quite a sight, I must say."

"You're being too relaxed, Gin."

"Of course, Aizen- sama. I don't have a part yet." He pouted. "Its pretty boring without Kuro- kun tachi here."

"Oh, no worries, he will come, that boy…" Cold brown eyes surveyed the battle below him.

"He will come, for sure."

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Sode no Shirayuki opened her eyes.

She was back home…or so she thought. The winds felt pretty violent, far too violent than she would have liked.

"Shira." She turned. "Kazeshini. I knew it was your doing. What is going on at your side?"

Kazeshini threw one scythe over his shoulder and sat down on the ice block, a frustrated look on his face. "What is going on, you say…we're pretty kicking the Espada's underlings well, and Fire ball just enveloped the traitors in a huge fire ball, and the rest of them cap'ns are trashing the butts off the Espadas themselves."

"What is bothering you?" She sat next to her friend, a friendship that most people would have found ironic. "You don't look very excited, even though this battle would have suited your personality well."

Kazeshini sighed. "Its Shinso." A frozen look crossed the Yuki Onna's face. "He's a traitor, Kazeshini." The words were said like a fruit that tasted rotten. "Why did you speak to him?"

"Shira…you don't know Shinso well."

"Of course I won't know him well! His master enjoys taunting my mistress, and he turns his back on us all! I will not forgive those three for hurting my mistress, Kazeshini."

"Shira, wait, listen to me, Shinso…Kyoka Suigetsu feels apologetic to you. He really doesn't want to hurt you. Neither of them wants to."

"He already has. And furthermore, I never had feelings for him. Its one-sided on his part."

"Shira, will you listen? Kyoka Suigetsu…he will disappear if we-"

"Then let him go. Have you not felt loneliness from him? Kyoka Suigetsu has always been alone. The Hougyoku has made up its mind to take him. We cannot save him. I will _not _save him." Sode no Shirayuki turned away, feeling Rukia's calls to her.

"You would sacrifice him, Shira? He's innocent! The master-"

"Our duty as Zanpakutous, is to aid our masters in every battle they are in and advice them when necessary." Shirayuki closed her eyes, preparing to return to Rukia. "But we are also their voice of reason, their conscience."

"But if-"

"You saw what happened to Muramasa. Will you end up like him, Kazeshini?" Kazeshini looked up into glacier blue eyes, frozen and cold. "Return soon to Hisagi. He's calling for you."

A blink, the Snow Queen was gone. The Wind Demon sighed. "You didn't see his pain, Shirayuki. Neither Shinso nor Kyoka Suigetsu wanted this…"

* * *

"_Shirayuki, are you there?"_

"Yes, Rukia- sama. My apologies for worrying you."

"_No, its fine. I just wanted to make sure you were fine."_

"Yes, Rukia-sama. I'm-"

_Your mistress will be mine._

Sode no Shirayuki snapped open her eyes. _Who?_

"_Shirayuki?"_

"Nothing wrong, Rukia-sama. I must be a little tired."

"_Take care, but don't rush it. The sudden use of Shirafune must have been hard on you. I have to go now, we'll talk later. Rest well."_

Once she was sure that her connection with Rukia had ended, Shirayuki surveyed her icy world inside of Rukia's deepest mind.

"Who are you?" The winds lashed harder, a clear reflection of her own feelings. Anger…and confusion. A laughter rang across the landscape.

_What a beautiful specimen, your mistress. She will be mine._

A hailstorm had formed, leaving welts on her pale skin. Sode no Shirayuki clenched her fist.

"Rukia-sama…"

* * *

_Hueco Mundo_

Rukia stared up at the huge gaping hole they called Garganta.

The Garganta that Ichigo and Unohana had just gone into.

"Scary right, Kurotsuchi- taichou…" Hanatarou shivered from her side. Rukia gave a weak smile. "Yeah…"

"To be able to create something like this…he must be desperate to overthrow Urahara- san." Isane whispered, as the three of them looked in the direction of Byakuya and Mayuri, both of which seemed to be having a argument on something. Rukia faintly heard Ichigo's name, and she looked into the now closing Garganta.

"Ichigo…"

_Rukia- sama! Watch out!_

Rukia barely had time to unsheathe before she felt herself being lifted up into the air, a tentacle wrapping itself so tightly around her chest and stomach that it felt crushing.

Below her, Shirayuki was calling out in fear.

* * *

_A/N: So. I finally rewrote the whole thing._

_And I'm happier, even though I think it took me almost two years to finally get around doing this story…to be exact, redoing it._

_So leave feedback on whether you prefer this version or the original one! Its important, cause I have big ideas for this story…hope it does well, heh._

_Thanks to all those that favorited this story, reviewed it or just read it. I love you guys either way! =)_

_Chapter 2- rewritten, will be up soon in a couple of weeks. Stay glued! See you around~~_


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